Skip to main content

Shannen Doherty Dies of Breast Cancer at 53

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 15, 2024.

By Ernie Mundell HealthDay Reporter

MONDAY, July 15, 2024 -- Actress Shannen Doherty, best known for her roles in 1990s television hits such as “Beverly Hills, 90210” and “Charmed," has died at 53 after a long struggle with breast cancer.

In a statement, Doherty's publicist, Leslie Sloane, said she died Saturday at her home in Malibu, Calif.

According to the New York Times, Doherty first discovered that she had breast cancer in early 2015. An outspoken advocate for those fighting the illness, in 2016 she shaved her head as friends watched and in 2017 announced that her cancer had been pushed into remission.

However, the tumor returned in 2021 and last June Doherty disclosed that cancer had spread to her brain. In November, she revealed that the cancer was now in her bones.

Nevertheless, she told People magazine at the time that she had decided to start a new podcast.

“I’m not done with living. I’m not done with loving. I’m not done with creating. I’m not done with hopefully changing things for the better,” she said. “I’m not done.”

According to the Times, Doherty was born in Memphis on April 12, 1971, to John Doherty Jr., a mortgage consultant, and Rosa (Wright) Doherty, a beautician.

She began her career as a child actress in such 1970s television staples as "Little House on the Prairie" and "Our House."

But it was her breakout role as sharp-tongued Brenda Walsh in the instant '90s hit “Beverly Hills, 90210” that brought her fame. That role, and later roles in the TV series "Charmed" and movies such as "Heathers," "Mall Rats" and "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back” cemented her celebrity.

Reports of clashes with co-stars on various projects plagued Doherty in the press, however. In 2019, she told People that she had come to terms with her tabloid image as "difficult."

“I have felt misunderstood my whole life,” she said. “The only difference is that now I’m OK with it."

Sources

  • New York Times, July 14, 2024

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Posted July 2024

Read this next

American Indian/Alaska Native Breast Cancer Patients Less Likely to Get Reconstruction

MONDAY, July 8, 2024 — After a mastectomy, some women are less likely than others to have breast reconstruction surgery. Rates of the surgery are consistently lower among...

Tai Chi Can Benefit Breast Cancer Survivors in Many Ways

MONDAY, July 1, 2024 -- Tai Chi appears to improve sleep, and as a result reduces inflammation and boosts the immune systems of breast cancer survivors, a new study says. The...

Kadcyla Boosts Survival in Some Women With Early Breast Cancer

FRIDAY, June 28, 20204 (HealthDay news) -- An immunotherapy/chemotherapy combo drug can help early-stage breast cancer patients remain cancer-free following treatment, a new trial...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.